Sonny Bill Williams slams Australian Senator as 'cocky', 'racist' over anti-immigration tweet

All Blacks midfield back Sonny Bill Williams posted a screenshot of the deleted message on Twitter. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Sonny Bill Williams has hit out at an Australian Senator, calling him "cocky" and "racist" following a tweet vowing to ban Muslim immigration.

In a string of tweets, far-right senator Fraser Anning vowed to ban Muslims and black people from immigrating to Australia.

The tweet was posted after a press conference Anning hosted in Dunningham Park in Sydney yesterday morning.

"Today I was at Cronulla announcing candidates for NSW," the thread began.

"As you know, this area is the Prime Minister's seat, and there's been all sorts of problems here with the Muslim immigrants who have come here and attacked people."

A tweet following this initial tweet, which has since been deleted, said the people of Cronulla and NSW were "very concerned about Muslim immigration".

"My party will ban all Muslim and Black immigration and ensure safety for Australians once more," it read.

This is what an Australian Senator put on his twitter page.
It’s remarkable how cocky a Racist can be in the today’s society. pic.twitter.com/OBQeXNIrY6

— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) April 27, 2019

The tweet was screenshot and reposted by All Black Sonny Bill Williams, who's hit out at Anning for the tweets.

"It's remarkable how cocky a Racist can be in the today's society," his tweet read.

Williams is a devout Muslim himself, and has been a vocal supporter of the community following the Christchurch mosque terror attack.

Anning's tweets followed scenes of chaos at yesterday's press conference.

When journalists questioned Senator Anning, his supporters interrupted and gave their own responses.

One of his supporters was then arrested for allegedly attacking a photographer. The 19-year-old hit photographer Dylan Robinson in the face before throwing him to the ground.

Earlier this year Anning was at the centre of an ugly altercation at a speaking event in Melbourne.

The senator was egged after comments seeming to deflect responsibility for the Christchurch terror attack to New Zealand's immigration policy.

Anning was being interviewed by a Melbourne newspaper reporter at Moorabin when a teenager broke a raw egg over the back of his head.

The shocked Anning turned towards the teenager and slapped at him with an open hand in the face. He lashed out at the teen a second time as the pair were separated.

The teen was held down and questioned by officials before being led away by police.

Neither faced charges in relation to the incident.

Fraser Anning is a Queensland senator. Photo / File

The teenager's actions were largely celebrated online, and he quickly was labelled 'egg boy'.

Anning was labelled pathetic and shameful" by his colleagues in the Australian Senate over his comments in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.

The government and opposition joined together to move a motion censuring Anning shortly after the comments were made.

The censure is a searing official rebuke of Anning's comments - a powerful piece of symbolism - but otherwise has no real effect on him.